Edie Brickell
Volcano

In 1989, Edie Brickell and New Bohemians took the U.S. market by storm.
Shooting Rubber Bands at the Stars, the groupís magnificent debut, went
platinum, and its first single What I Am landed squarely in the Top Ten.
Though its follow-up Ghost of a Dog was a superb outing that improved
upon the bandís formula, the album was overlooked by critics and failed to move
consumers, causing the ensembleís 15 minutes of fame to come to a abrupt
conclusion when New Bohemians disbanded under the weight of so much pressure.
Needing a break from the music business, Brickell settled down to enjoy
motherhood and domestic life with fellow folk singer Paul Simon, resurfacing
briefly in 1994 to release the slickly produced, supremely sterile, and utterly
disappointing solo effort Picture Perfect Morning.

In the intervening years, Brickell has kept a low profile, quietly taking
guitar lessons and writing songs that went unrecorded, until she stepped into a
studio with Bob Dylan-associate and fellow Texan Charlie Sexton. The result is
Volcano, an album that radiates a soft, supple tenderness while losing
the awkward hesitancy that ravaged Picture Perfect Morning. Despite the
passage of nearly a decade, Brickellís voice has lost none of its elasticity,
and she uses her pliant pipes to turn songs such as the Norah Jones-influenced
Take a Walk, the Sting-meets-Paul Simon groove Ooh La La, and the
soulful single Rush Around into wispy slices of wistful, weightless
beauty.

Without question, there are moments when Brickell struggles to recapture the
organic edge of her work with New Bohemians, and at times, it seems as if she is
still searching for her own space as a solo artist. More often than not,
however, she finds it within the dreamy arrangements that adorn her thoughtful
lyrics, making Volcano a firm foundation upon which to build her long
overdue and very welcome return to the stage. Ĺ